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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 3319914" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #379] Mutiny on the High Seas[/PLAIN]"If that thing gets closer, I'll end it alright," Morier hissed, making a threatening gesture with Stoneblade."STRONG WORDS FROM ONE WHO LINGERS BEHIND WHILE OTHERS TAKE THE VANGUARD!" the greatsword thundered and Morier glowered at the weapon."Perhaps then, you have a suggestion that doesn't end with me dead and you lying in the bottom of this pool for the rest of eternity!" the albino growled. "If so speak now, by all means!!""IF YOU WISH ME TO LEAD, FRAIL ONE, THEN SURRENDER YOUR WILL TO ME!" the sword shot back. "IT IS WITHIN MY POWER TO MAKE YOU ACT BRAVELY!" Morier's mouth opened to retort but Huzair cut him off."The sword's right, Morier. What are you doing?" the mage asked. "You can cast spells can't you?  A Magic Missile or two may at least distract the lobster creatures.""Arcanissvent wux?" Ixin asked, arching an inquisitive eyebrow at the two before she began weaving her hands in the familiar pattern necessary to cast another Magic Missile spell. The two bolts of magic lanced downward from her fingertips into the more injured of the two lobster things, making it squeal a bit in pain."Thric," Huzair replied. "Morier caex-vargach.""What are you-" the eldritch warrior began when another Hypnotic Pattern appeared atop the shell. This time both he and Ixin stood slack-jawed and staring at the whirling light show.Nearby, Shamalin finally broke the surface and rose into the air without stopping, water streaming from the seams in her armor and plastering her strawberry blonde locks across her forehead. "They're still on us," she cried to the others. Her face took on a look of grave concern as she saw the swirling display of lights and Morier's and Ixin's obvious fascination with it.A few seconds behind her Ayremac and Karak rose up, the latter suffering another nip from a claw before he could Levitate out of its reach. The dwarf sputtered to clear the water from his nose and mouth, squeezing a gallon or two out of his beard with his off-hand."Oi, these crustaceans are givin' me a beatin' more than I thought," he grumbled. "Shamalin? Aryemac? Can ye spare any more healin'?""Watch out!" Huzair shouted, pointing toward the sea serpent. "There's a creature over there using mind-affecting spells!" Then he slapped Ixin across the face again to snap her out of her reverie."I'll see what I can do!" Ayremac shouted back, spreading his mighty pinions and activating the Ring of Invisibility in one swift motion.Huzair gave Ixin another shake and was about to do the same to Morier when the albino seemed to come out of it on his own. It didn't take long for Huzair to realize that it wasn't Morier who had resisted the Hypnotic Pattern."NOW WE SHALL SEE WHAT WE CAN SEE!" Stoneblade thundered as it forced Morier to leap 15 feet onto the back of the nearest lobster. The stony gray blade bit into the armored body, but the resulting wound was minor. Somehow, the eldritch warrior was able to retain his footing on the thing's sloping carapace and so he remained safely above the water.Still blinking the confusion from her eyes, Ixin managed to send another pair of Magic Missiles into the body of the creature Morier was riding. She didn't see the tentacle rise up from behind her until it slapped down across her back, almost driving her to her knees.Nearby, but oblivious to this sudden turn of events, Shamalin channeled a Cure Light Wounds into a ray that washed across Karak's back, soothing his injuries a little. "That's the best I can do at range!" she apologized. "You must get closer!""I'm a might busy here!" Karak shouted back before one of the creatures seized him in its claws and squeezed, drawing forth a roar of pain from the dwarf's lungs. Fortunately, Karak's Ring again saved him from being held for long in that deadly grip.Morier, of course had no such protection, and he quickly found himself held savagely by the creature on whose back he'd been balanced. Even as Karak was driving his waraxe deeply into his own opponent - twice - Morier, fully dominated by Stoneblade, watched as the tentacles surrounding its mouthbits reached eagerly for him.Under normal circumstances, Huzair would likely have come to Morier's aid, but he his attention was held by the slime-covered tentacle that was flailing about in the air beside himself. He looked over the side at the tendril's owner, some kind of horrible primeval fish. Most of its body was beneath the water, but the mage could see that it was easily twenty feet in length from its bulbous head to its crescent-shaped tail. Three slit-shaped eyes protected by bony ridges were set one atop the other in the front of its head which briefly rose above the water to stare balefully at him."Hello," Huzair said calmly and let loose with his Wand of Scorch. A ray of fire washed over the thing, but it managed to dart beneath the surface to avoid the worst of the attack. Still, it was plain to see that it did not enjoy the application of fire, which brought a grin to Ixin's face as she leaned over the side and breathed a cone of dragonfire onto it.The thing shrieked in agony as the fire burned away layers of its slime-coated flesh, turning its skin into char-blackened curls that peeled away like burnt parchment.Ayremac came at the serpent invisibly. As he approached he heard it say, "You will never get the key!" He watched it move its forelimbs as if it were casting a spell, and he moved to the side, coming at it from an oblique angle. As he got closer, he noticed something odd; the thing was only visible atop the waves. He could see clearly through the water, but there was no body beneath as if it began and ended at the lake's surface."You will all die!" the serpent informed them and again its limbs moved as if it were casting a spell, but no spell came and as he passed closer, Ayremac could see why.The sea serpent was an illusion.Writhing in pain, the tentacled fish darted beneath the surface and waved its sinuous limbs in an odd fashion. An instant later, another Hypnotic Pattern hit the shell. This time it was Huzair who felt its effects, staring in blank fascination at the twinkling lights.Shamalin looked around her and judged Morier to be in the worst position. Clutching her holy symbol she invoked Flor's power to summon a Spiritual Weapon that manifested itself as a staff of pure white light. The weapon, directed by Shamalin's will thudded hard against the armored shell of the creature that held Morier, causing it to sway drunkenly in the water. It was not enough to make it release the albino, however and it instead brought him in to its furiously-working mandibles. The tentacles surrounding its mouth wrapped snugly around his body, stinging him repeatedly with paralytic poison. It was a mercy, he decided, since it prevented him from feeling the pincers that still held him and the mouth which slashed again and again at his face."THIS IS NOT GOING AS I'D EXPECTED!" Stoneblade said in his hands. The sword's tone sounded genuinely surprised and it released its dominance over the eldritch warrior.Karak suffered another pair of hits from the lobster attacking him and he returned the favor with two massive blows from his waraxe. One of which severed the thing's left foreclaw at the wrist. It wailed in pain, blood fountaining from the wound as its legs churned the water into a crimson froth. After a frantic moment, its body stilled and drifted slowly downward.Huzair shook off the effect of the Hypnotic Pattern but knew his wand was of little use against the tentacled fish so long as it remained below the water. so Instead he cast Haste centered on himself and grinned as he saw his companions' movements speed up around him. Using his own burst of speed he Levitated up 20' into the air.No sooner had his feet left the shell, then he heard Ixin mutter the words of a Wraithstrike spell. He gaped as she dropped the five feet onto the tentacled fish's back, grunting off its opportunistic attack. She had the two scimitars in her hands that Karak had given her and they flashed outward with blazing speed. Once, twice, a third time. Each thrust saw the curved blade opening massive gashes in the fish's body, that ignored its naturally tough skin and found the tender meat below. The creature bucked frantically trying to divest itself of its deadly passenger, but it was no use; Ixin's fangs tore a massive bleeding mouthful of flesh from its back and the thing went still in the water, the last of its life bleeding uselessly from its torn carcass.The illusionary sea serpent flickered and disappeared.Shamalin concentrated on her Spiritual Weapon and slammed the force staff into the creature grappling Morier's helpless body. It was the final insult to a creature that had endured much punishment; it sagged immediately and began to sink, taking Morier with it to the bottom. Only Ayremac swooping down to catch hold of the albino's chain shirt kept the eldritch warrior from drowning.It took only a few moments for Ayremac to haul everyone who was Levitating at a distance back onto the shell. Ixin spat furiously to get the taste of aberrant flesh from her mouth and after a few seconds, Morier sat up."That didn't go as badly as it could have," Ayremac said, but before anyone else could argue, Ixin growled in pain and began working at the leather thongs holding her jerkin closed."Molikixin valignat!" she complained as she worked at the armor."Molikixin?" Huzair asked as he reluctantly helped her."What is it?" Shamalin asked."She says her skin is burning and- Oh," the mage stopped. They'd removed enough of her leather armor to reveal a hideous infected wound that ran across her back over her dorsal spines and between her tiny wings. It was crusted with slime and the flesh around it was swollen -  livid to the point of being purple. It was in the perfect shape of the tentacle that had slapped her there."She's diseased!" Karak grunted, spitting a gobbet of blood into the water.</blockquote>

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